Airship landing station



April 17, 1928.

F. I. SCHWERDTFEGER AIRSHIP LANDING STATION April 17, 1928. 1,666,354

F. w. SCHWERDTFEGER AIRSHIP LANDING STATION 'Filed Sept. 5, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Z'illlllIlllllIlllllllllllllmlllllllllllliil I winks-m ilg w %AA.A%Q;

April 17, 1928;

F. W. SCHWERDTFEGE R AIRSHIP LANDING STATION Filed Sept. 5, 1925 7 sheefis speet 4 W/TA/ffid Apt-i117, 1928.

F. w. SCHWERDTFEGER AIRSHIP LANDING STATION Filed Sept. 3, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 A mm Mm mm WITNESSE$ April 17, 192a F. W. SCHWERDTFEGER AIRSHIP LANDING smxon Filed Sept. 5, 1925 7 Sheets$heet 7 6? I Yin-MW M/ r TNEQES Patented Apr. 17, 1928,

PATENTV'MOFFICE.

FREDERICK 'WILLIAM SCHWERDTFEGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AIRSHIP-LANDING 'S'JJA'II'OIWZ Application filed. September The invention re-lates'to an improved airship landing station in which a mooring tower operates on and around the roof of a circular-built hangar.

Among theobjccts of my invention are, first-, to accomplish the process of landing and c1? anchoring an airship within the hangar as well as of releasing an airship from within the hangar into the air without turning the broadsides of the airship against the wind during any of the aforesaid proccsses, second, to turn all airships located within the hangar in either direction around the centre of the hangar in order to launch aircrai'ts in the direction oi? the prevailing wind, third, to provide a novel construct1onmot a. composite mooring tower, fourth, to

providenovcl means of landing airships in a more expeditious manner than has been :urconiplished heretofore, .li'lth, to provide novel means of launching airships expeditimisly, and sixth, to land, berth and launch airsl'iips without the use andv al'iplication of vast labor forces. 1

The objects and advantages of my invention will be better uinlcrstood when the following itemized description is read and compared with the accompanying drawings, my invention being in the construction, thecoinbinatiou. the arrangement, and the cooperation of parts oil this airship hauling-station.

in the drawings v Fig. 1 is a perspective view ofa complete airship landing station,constructed in accordance with my invention, comprising a 5 root oi the hangar and being ready to be connected with the carrier of the main motormrr,

Fig. 3 is a side view, partlyin section, of the lower central part of the mooring tower. also showing the arrangement of rail tracks on the roof of the hangar,

Fig. ir'lt-l a pers iiective view of the moorin tower the left side-structure of the 3, 1925. 'Serial No. 54,313.

Fig. 7 isa perspective view of the weight,

which weight is shown on the line '22 of Fig. 6, Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the upper part of therear of the carrier of the moors ing tower, i

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of the rear upper part of the carrier of themain motorca-r,

Fig. 10 is a top view of the carrier of the main motor-car on the line 33 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 11 is a plan View of the top structure of the n'iooring tower illustrating a grab line device, f I y i Fig. 1.2 is a side View of the part on the line 4-4 of Fig. 11, roller chain with hooks not shown,

Fig. ,13 is an interior vertical. view of a section on the line 1-4 of Fig. 11, as it appears after the removal of the upper cover; mg, c

Fig. 14 is a top view of a section of a roller chaln with hooks,

Fig. 15 is a'view of one hook, a hook-h old- Fig. 18 is a plan view of therotating floor i of the hangar, the covering and the double rail tracks of the floor shown as broken away in three places to illustrate the supporting construction and the circular rail tracks,

Fig. 19 is a vertical sectional side View of one quarter part of the interior of the hangar, Fig. 20. is a perspective view of a main fragmentary bottom 1 theroller chain with hooks motor-car, its upstanding carrier turned to ward the rotating device operating around the pillar in the centre of the hangar. The

upper part of the pillar and the rear of the motor car are shown as broken away,

Fig. 21 is a side view of a part of the rotating device along the line 7 7 of Fig. 20.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 18 of drawings, a circular-shaped hangar 9, having a roof 22 and a partly rotatable floor 11, is provided with a series of lateral entrances 10, and each of the latter gives access to a like series of tracks 8, placedon the outer side of and radially to the hangar 9.

The rotatable floor 11 and the floor-space surrounding same also have a like'series of radially placed tracks, in order to givethe airship l5 access to, or departure fromthe hangar 9.- The airship '75 can be placed on and secured to a suitable rolling equipment, provided for each of such radial tracks 8 located on the rotatableiioor 11, consisting of a train comprising a front motor car 13, two or more airsl'iip-receiving trucks 14, and a rear motor car 15, which rolling equipment can be shifted from one to another radial track 8 by means of therotatable floor 1.1.

As shown in Figs. 1, 18 and 19, the rotatable.

floor 11 does not cover the entire floor area of the hangar 9, but leaves a stationary sec-' tage of a platform movable along an other platform, in combination withan airship station and especially within an airship hangar serving commercial purposes, is obvious, as such arrangement saves time and labor in loading and unloading an airship and intransferring a load from one section of anairship station to another section thereof.

The circular tracks located below the rotatable floor 11 (Fig. 18) serve either as a guide for the latter or can be utilized without the rotatable floor ll for turning airships, fastened to vehicles, laterally around thecenter of the hangar 9.

A centrally located pillar 12 of thehangar 9 is provided with an elevator device 18, see Fig. 20, and gives access from the hangariloor 11 to the hangar-roof 22. A number of radiating gangways 23 on the root 22 provides means for transportation of passengers, freight, etc, between the pillar l2 and the outer portion of the roof 22. The aforean electric searchlight mechanism 20, both needed. for obvious professional reasons.

A movable moormg, tower 124, see Figs.

1, 2, 3, and 4, is placed upon a circular track with rails 25,'which track is situated near uides ll and 49.

the outer periphery of the circular hangar roof 22. An additional inner Wheel-track 27, concentric to the outer track 25, supports a rear strut-extension 26 of the mooring tower Said mooring tower is also provided with two lateral side strut-extensions 28', having wheels to run on the outer wheeltrack 25, .for the purpose of strengthening the rigidity of said movable tower.

A staircase 26- and a gangway 26 run through the rear strut-extension 26 to the entrance of the elevator 24;, which latter communicates with the roof 22 with the uppermost portion of the mooring tower 24.

The outer face of the tower 2st has attached thereto a vertical carrier-guide 4-1 of hollow, rectangular shape. which has a vertical slot 4-2, extending from a position above the upper platform 43 of the mooring tower to its lower extremity below the roof 22.

Each of the aforesaid main motor cars 13 is provided with an upwardly extending carrier-guide .49 of the same cross section and provided with a like vertical slot as the carrier-guide 4-1 of the mooring tower. This carrier-guide l9 rests upon a platforin'ere tension (50 of the trucks 13 and is secured thereto by struts til.

A coupling 59 or the likelslidable over the lower end of the dependent carrier-guide ll and over the upper end of the upstanding carrierguidc 4:9, serves as a jointure between both and effects a oontimious, slotted guide from the main motor cars 13 to the upper platform 43 of the tower 24.

A guide-weight ll having anti-friction rollers 45 is shown in Figs. 5, 6. 7, and 10, and fits into the interior of the carrien This weight 44. has a projecting nose 4-6 which extends outwardly through the slot 42. This nose is funnelshaped in order to receive the outer projecting bow-knob of an airship and can be securely fastened thereto by means of ropes or chains 80, see Fig. 7. i

An upper cable 50 is attached to the weight 44 at 52 and passes over roller 54 to a winch 56; a lower rope 51, attached to guide-weight ll at 53, passes beneath the idlers 57 58 to a winch 59" of motor car 125.

A bolt 62 passing through apertures 63 in the side. walls of carrier-guide 4-9 and through hooks 6% of guide-weight 44 holds the latter at certain designated, vertical positions within the carrier-guide 49.

Projecting pins 66 on the lower carrierguide 49 serve to maintain the upper end of an adjustable ladder (35, which rises from the platform 60 of car 13. This ladder arrangement provides access from motor car 13 to the upper portion of the carrier-guide l9 and a guide-weight 44 when located within the guide 49.

In Fig. 20 is shown a device for holding the bow of an airship in a vertically self sliding bars 17 are'spaced in accordance withthe series of radial tracks 8 located on the rotatable floor 11; each bar 17 is. provided with a sliding buckle 17.

The motor car 13 has on its carrier-guide 49 a projecting casing 67 which latter contains a movable weight-68 (Fig. to which is fastened a turnbuckle '69 projecting through the slot 70, the latter having end stops 71. i i

A hook 72' forms a part of this turnbuckle 69 and is designed to be fastened to the sliding buckle 17 of the device 16, as soon as the car 13 has advanced toithe center pil-' lar 12. i

The aforesaid weight 68 will counteract the buoyancy of a floating airship, and the hooks and turnbuckle devices, explained before, provide for a flexible connection in the event that the floor 11, with its contents of trucks etc. thereon, is rotated center pillar 12. g

1 In order to land an airship 75 and dearound the posit the same into the hangar 9, a catc'hline' 81. see Fig. l. is thrown or shotofl' from the bow-end of the ship, and designed to be held by a catching device installed within each wing 29, which latter projects horizontally from a housing placed on the upper platform 4-3 of the mooring tower 24. These laterally projecting blades or wings 29 are provided with a number of catching hooks 33, see Fig. 11. into one or the other ofwhich the catchline 81 becomes entangled.

A. transmission cable 39 operated by hand or other motive power and provided with guard-plates 40, and passing over transmission wheel 38 rotates the cable wheel 37 and gear wheels 30 by means of the endless roller chain33, to which a number of hooks iii-Bis attached by roller link attachments 34. A series of guide rollers 36 and projecting flanges on geared wheels 30 provide safety guards for the roller chain 33. A

similar arrangement is provided for each of weight 44, and passes the same over the idler and thence fastens it to a winch, sultably placed on the platform 43.

' respectively.

The catching Themooring cable 82, attached to the catchline 81 by means of a slidable ring,

. glides downwardly from the airship 7 5 along said line 81. The sliding ring isdetached after the mooring cable 82 has been fastened to the winch to which the line 81 had been fastened in'eviously, which winch, not shown in drawings, serves to haul down the fore: part of the airship 7F.

. In conjunction herewith a number of movable winches 78, placed on radial "tracks 79 between adjoiningradial tracks 8 outside the hanger 9, operates the cables 83 connected to appropriate links on the sides of airship 75. The winch 76011 rear motor car 15 is connected to the sternend ofthe airship also by means of cables 83. i

The winches 56,, 59, 76and 78cooperate in hauling down the airship and bring the bow-point of the latter into the nose 46 of guide-weight 4 1 and after the aforesaid bowpoint is locked thereto by the chains 80, the catcliline 81 and the mooring cable 82 are released. I j i The airship, having been hauled down, is placed into the adjustable nettings and aircushions with which the cradles 73 of the trucks 1% are equipped. Additional attach nient hooks '77 are provided on the cradles 73 and on front and rear cars 13 and 15 for hold-down cables or anchor-links of the airship75.

All running rail tracks 8, 2f 27, and 79 are made channel-shaped, with the web there of placed vertically, with the truck-wheels and tower-wheels, respectively, placed be tween the two horizontal flanges. This railarrangement serves to resist an upward lift of all vehicles '13, 14, 15,5LI1Cl78 and strengthens the position of. the mooring tower 2% After disconnection of the composite carrier-guide and after. the removal of the. mooring tower from above the entrance the airship is advanced into the hangar 9, coupled to the anchoring device 16. as described above, andis now properly landed.

The launching process is analogous to the landing process, but in a reversed order. The departing airship within the hanger 9 is placed into connection with an outside track 8, which. latter in its radial direction.

corresponds to the direction of the prevail.- ing wind, bow-end-on. The rolling equip ment of cars and trucks 1%, 1e, and 15 hauls the airship into the open, the cables 83 manipulated by the various winches will guide the airship upwardly and, when dis connectedtherefrom, permits the airship to depart. i

The entire manipulation of landing and launching is principally a mechanical one, accomplished with the aid of a comparatively small crew of attendants. Risks of break- 1 age, usually caused by winds striking the airship broadside-on, are eliminated by the system of using radial tracks suitably ar ranged and corresponding to the direction of the prevailing winds.

The time consumed in landing and launching airships is expeditious and concise.

In contrast to airship stations of present days, my station, in addition to the advantages described heretofore, will harbor a large number of airships within a comparatively small area.

I do not limit myself to the precise details of construction. herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein, without departing from the essential features of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim 1. A. station for landing and launching ail-ships, comprising a circular hangar, a pillar centrally located within the hangar, a number of radial tracks placed on the hangar-floor and rotatable around said central pillar, a movable mooring tower situated on a circular track placed on the periphery of the hangarrroo'lf, an elevator device from the hangar-floor to the hangar-roof, another elevator device within said mooring tower, a series of gangways located on the roof and communicating between said elevator devices, a system of outer tracks radial to the hangar, and means of lowering andberthi'ng airships into vehicles movable along said radial tracks and of depositing airships into the hangar, as described.

2. In combination with an airshipand its hangar, a system of stationary tracks placed without the hangar and radiating from such hangar, a number ot tracks radiating from an interior point of the hangar and in communication with a like number of radial tracks rotatable round about said interior point, the latter radial tracks adapted to be joined with said tracks radiating from the hangar, a mooring tower movable on the root otthe hangar, a composite carrier-guide connecting the mooring tower to an airship berth beneath the mooring tower-,a searchlight mechanism and a wind-vane surmounting this station, said wind-vane designed to locate the proper entrance of an airship and the correct exit for an airship departing from the hangar.

3. In combination with an airship station. a mooring tower equipped with-a dependent carrier-guide, another carrier-guide forming a part of a vehicle located beneath th former carrier-guide, both carrier-guides adapted to be coupled to each other and forming, when combined, a composite carrier-guide, and when disconnected two separate carrier-guides tor the bowor stern-end of an airship while lowering and raising the latter.

4. In combination with the mooring tower said wings, a number of,

reeaase airship, and to counteract the buoyancy of a floating airship.

5. In combination with the mooring tower of an airship station, one or a number of horizontal wings extending outwardly from said tower, each of said wings supporting a gralrline-catching device comprising a number of grab-hooks extending outwardly from guide-rollers and guide said grabmeans to operate guideflanges adapted to linecatching device, and the latter.

(3. In combination with the hangar of an airship station, an airship berth movable alongv a circular track placed around a rotatable airship anchorage centrally located within said hangar, a vehicle equipped with an upwardly rising carrier-guide for the bow or stern-end of an airship, a guideweight supported by and movable along said carrier-guide, means to connect an anchoring line of an airship to said weight, the latter adapted to lower and to raise an airship and to counteract the buoyancy oi a floating airship, another weight movable along a stand rising upwardly from said vehicle and provided with a flexible, outwardly extending fastening device adapted to be coupled tosaid rotatable airship anchorage within the hangar.

7. In an airship stationand in combination with each other, a circular-shaped hangar. a hangar-pillar provided with an elevating device to the hangar-root, a number of gangways located on said root and giving access to an elevating device within a mooring tower movable on circular tracks placed on said root, a. plurality of railtracks, radially extending from the floor- .center of the hangar, rotatable around said floor-center, and communicating with stationary rail-tracks radiating from said hangar, a number of communicating hangardoors between the inner and the outer radial tracks, a train consisting of a motor car, equipped with winches, and an airship re ceiving truck having a cradle padded with adjustable and removable nettings and aircushions, a composite carrier-guide, composed of an upper, slotted carrier-guide dependent t'rom said mooringtmver and of a lower-slotted carrier-guide upwardly rising from said motor car or truck, a slotted coupling tor uniting the two separate carrierguides, an adjustable anchoring device rotatable about a pillar centrally located within the hanger, a. grab-lineoatohing device in a wing extending outwardly from the mooring tower, at number of auxiliary Winches 111OV- able on ground tracks placed outside of the hanger, a system of hauling down cables leading from an airship to said various Winches, a channel-rail arrangement adapted to hold wheels to the bottom rail, means to transport theaforesaid train from the exterior to the interior of the hanger and vice l verse and alsofrorn one to another of the More-1nent-ion-ed. radial tracks, and antifriction devices, herein Set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

FREDERICK WILLIAM SCHWBRDTFEGER. 

